President Goodluck Jonathan Friday handed out N75 million (N5million each) as well as employment letters to families of those who lost their lives in the botched immigration recruitment exercise last year.
President Jonathan’s gesture was in fulfillment of his promise that three members each from the families of those who lost their lives would be compensated.
The event which took place at the press briefing room of the presidential Villa had in attendance the Minister of Interior, Abba Moro as well as the Comptroller General of Immigration, David Paradang, the supervising Minister of Information, Edem Duke and other government officials.
Each of the families of the deceased, was handed a cheque of five million naira each, while three family members were each given employment letters.
President Jonathan in a brief remark after handing over the cheques and employment letters promised that such incidence would not repeat itself again.
” I promise this country that such will not happen again. This will be the last of such things” he emphasised.
He said the monies given to the families of the deceased should not be seen as compensation because it cannot replace the lives lost.
The Comptroller General of the Immigration Service, David Paradang told journalists that out of the 45 candidates ten had to be replaced because they did not meet the criteria of the service.
He explained that some of them were shorter than required, overweight or over aged adding that the families of the ten have been asked to bring replacement for the slots.
He noted that some of them who are graduates were employed as Assistant Superintendent, those with National Certificate of Education (NCE) were employed as Assistant Inspectors while those with the West African school certificate (WASC) were employed as Immigration Officers 3.
The service has currently resumed the employment exercise. Paradang said the service intends to recruit a total of 2,000 officers less the already slated 45 slots.
Minister of Interior, Abba Moro said the government accepts the incident as an act that was not planned for.
He said those wounded in the exercise will not be forgotten adding that they will be included in the second phase recruitment which is ongoing till May.
Much as I commend Mr. President on this gesture, I will advice that he immediately relieve the Minister of interior and the CG immigration of their jobs their negligence and ineptitude. It will portray him as serious about discipline and right conduct. It will equally tell Nigerians he is not being partisan with the gesture especially now that the elections are just less than two weeks!